Apparatus for use in the manufacture of boots and shoes.



J. A. KEAL v APPARATUS FOR USE IN THE MANUFACTURE 0F BOOTS AND SHOES,

APPL ICATION FILED JULY 15. 1912.

Patented. Apr. 13, 3915.

2 SHEETS-SHEBT l.

WT/VESSES Wyflviaa 1. A. KEAi. APPARATSS FOR USE IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES.

I Patented Apr. 13,1915;

APPLICATION FILED IUD/36,1912.-

2 SHEETB-BHEBT 2.

Mimi-5555:

Fig.2.

ED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES ALFRED KEAY, 0F LEICESTER, ENGLAND, ASBIGNOR 170 UNITED SHOE MACHINERY COMPNY, OF EATER-SON. NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION 01:

NEW JERSEY.

APPARATUS FOR USE IN THE KANUI'AOTUBE 0! B00!!! AND SHOES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Jam-1s Anraso Ken,

a subject of the King of Great Britain, re-

siding at Leicester, Leicestershire, England, have invented certain Improvements in Ap- )fllutlls for Use in the Manufacture. of dots and Shoes, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawings indicating like parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to apparatus for softening the toes or other portions of boots or shoes by the use of steam or vapor.

In connection with the lasting of shoes, it has been found advantageous to soften the toe box and the upper, particularly of heavy work and of hi h toed shoes, in order to render it more iable and thus to facilitate the moldin 0 the upper over the toe of the last an the plaiting of the stock over the insole. Apparatus for treating shoes in this manner, as heretofore proposed, however, have usually been so constructed that they start into operation very slowly and they usually have been dependent upon an external su ply of steam, thus rendering their instnl ation comparatively expensive and limiting their use to factories equipped with a steam supply system.

It is an important object of this invention to reduce an apparatus of this character which shall be self-contained, and which shall be capable of starting into operation without delay.

It is a further object of the invention to provide means by which the regulation 'of the quantity of steam can be readilv effected and to produce an apparatus that can be economically manufactured.

The particular manner in which these and other objects of the invention are attained will be clearly understood from the following description of one embodiment thereof, re erence icing made to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of a toe softening a paratus; and Fig. 2 is a view in side eevation of the apparatus, certain parts being shown in section.

The apparatus shown com rises a hollow base '2 and a casing 4 bolte thereon, having in its front wall two apertures 6 each shaped to receive he toe portion of a shoe.

specification of Letters Patent.

.over t Patented Apr. 13, 1915.

Application me an, to, 1912. Serial No. 700,114,.

The top of the casing slopes upwardly from its opposite ends to points substantially e positions occupied by the shoes in the apparatus and from'these oints it slopes downwardly to the middle 0 the easing. This arrangement provides in the top of the casing two raised ortions and a central depressed portion. t the lowest point of the later portion an orifice 8 is formed through the casing. Upon each of the raise portions there is a pedestal 10 which supports a receptacle 12 for water, and a cock 14, threaded into the bottom of the receptacle, is positioned directly over the orifice 8 so that, when the cock is opened, it will release water from the receptacle and direct it through the orifice 8 into the easlietween the base 2 and the casing 4 there 18 supported a thin metal diaphra m 16 which preferabl is concaved or di ed so that the water rapping through the orifice 8 will strike it and gravitate toward its center. A burner 18 of any suitable type is fixed in the base 2 directly below the diaphragm 16 and serves to heat this member, the central portion of the diaphragm bein corrugated in order toincrease its heat I'M rating capacity. bustion ma esca )e through an aperture 20 at the bee of t e base. In front of the base an o ning 22 is provided through which the urner 18 may be li hted. This opening may be partially (:10 b a cylindrical shutter 2-1l which is slidab y mounted in the upper part of the base upon lugs 26 that pro ect inwardly from the walls of the base. The shutter has an aperture fprmed therethrough and has a handle 28 projecting through the opening 22 by means of which it may be moved to cause this aperture to register'with the opening 22 to permit the lighting of the burner or to close the o ening again after the burner is lighted. n order to permit the shutter to be mounted in the manner shown, a slot is cut in the front wall of the base from its upper edge to the opening 22, as indicated at 80 in *ig. 1.

The products "of com other heat insulating material that is clamped between the rests and the casing 4 and has semicircular notches cut.in its upper edge to receive the toes of the shoes. These notches register with the a ertures6 but their edges overlie the edges 0 the apertures and therefore prevent the shoe from coming into contact with the metal-of the casing. As a further protection for the shoe,

a strip 36 of wood or other heat insulating material is supported inside the casing'substantially on a level with the toes of the shoes to prevent the shoe from striking the back of the casing. I

In using the avparatus, the cock 14 is. opened slightlyallowing the water to flow from the receptacle drop by drop throu h the o'rilice in the top of the casing on tot 1e heated diaphragm where it is immediately evaporated. B adjusting the cock 14 the rate at which tli'e water will be sup lied to the diaphragm can-be re ulated an conse qacntly, the rate at which the steam willbe generated can be easily controlled. lqurthermore, since the quantit of; water, to be heated in a given time is relatively small, only a moments time is required to start the apparatus into full operation. The steam rises in the casing around the toes of thoslroes, penetrating the leather and making the stock soft and pliable. shape of the top of the casing is of advan-" tage since by this arrangement substantially all of the vapor-thatcondenses on the walls of the casing will'be conducted either to the central part adjacent to the orifice 8, or else to the dos of the casing where it will flow to the iaphragm 16. ]n other words, thiscondensed vapor will be conducted away from the positions where it would be likely to drop on to the inner sole.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. An apparatus of the character described comprising a casing, means for su porting a sioe with a part thereof'in said casing, a. base supportin said casing, a barrier in said base, a diap iragm positioned over said burner, saidbase having an open- The peculiar,

ing in one side thereof, and a slidingshatter for said opening.

2. An apparatus of the character described comprising a casing having two apertures in one wall thereof, means for supporting two shoes with their toe portions in said apertures, the top of said casing being inclined upwardly from its ends to points substantiallyover the positions occupied by'the shoesand thence sloping downwardly to the middle of the casing, and

nc-ans for generating vapor in said casing.

3. In apparatus of the character described com rising a casing, means for supporting-a sine-with a part thereof in said casing, a base for saidcasing, means for supplying vapor to saideasing com rising a urner positioned in said base, said ase having an openin in one side thereof, and a shutter for sai opening.

4.1km apparatus of the character described com rising a casing, means for snpporting a s 106 w1th a part thereof in'said casing, means for supplying a series of vsmall quantities of water to said casin", and

means for vaporizing the water su stantially as fast as it is supplied to the casing. -5. An apparatus ofthe character de scribed comprising a baso,'a casing supported thereon, a receptacle for water mounted on sa d cas ng, a diaphragm aosit oned between said casing and base, sai casing having an orifice in its top directlyover-said diaphragm, a cock ositio'ned over said opening to control the ow of water from the receptacle, a burner in said base for heating said diaphragm,- said base having an openingin one ,side thereof,and a c lindrical shatter slidingly mounted in said ase'having an openin therein which may be moved into or out o register with the opening in the base.

In testimony. whereof I have signed my name to'this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

v JAMES'VALFREDQKEAY. vWitnesses:

FREDERICK WILLIAM Woa'rn, CLAUD BeNmoN. 

